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34|Harper’s BAZAAR INTERIORS

VIRTUAL COLOUR

here’s no mistaking this beauty’s love for fashion and colour. Lifestyle blogger Tala Farah was born and raised in Abu Dhabi, and her style is unmistakably rooted in the

local. Her home is a temporary one - a large apartment on Mina Road in the capital - a kind of crash pad to suffi ce while her house on Saadiyat Island is being completed. But unlike many of us who are reluctant to even put up wallpaper in rented accommodation, 29-year-old Tala was keen to make sure that it felt absolutely like home. “I looked at 40 buildings before I chose my apartment,” she says. “I love that it has so much space and high ceilings; the living room has stunning floor to ceiling windows overlooking the sea and Al Maryah Island. There is nothing obstructing our view. Also, my parents live across the street, which is absolutely priceless!”

Being the fi rst apartment she has decorated personally, Tala was keen to experiment with lots of different styles, giving each room its own identity with a mix of wallpaper, furniture and accessories. Despite the strong shades and bold design pieces there’s an overriding feeling of calm, assisted by the distinct lack of clutter. It’s minimalism, done Arabian style.

“I believe that a home isn’t complete simply with furniture. What makes it unique is the art hanging on the walls, and the special pieces that you add, the details that make it come alive‚” Tara tells us, citing her parents’ home, filled with beautiful art pieces, as a leading influence. “I bought all of my pieces depending on how they made me feel. If they evoked strong emotion, then I found a place for them in my home.” Trusting her instincts, Tala has managed to establish a witty, vibrant collection of design and art that will no doubt continue to grow as she does.

“My absolute favourite piece is the Baccarat candleabra that my mother gifted my husband Elias and I when we moved in. It’s simply stunning.” Her most prized art piece is the Umberto Ciceri dancing ballerina that she and her husband bought from an art gallery in Capri

TThouq Chanel print from S*uce Gifts, side table Boca De Lobo, perfume bottles from O’Cocoon

Tala wears Dior top, Mango jeans and Jimmy Choo shoes, sofa from Kenzo Maison, rug Christian Lacroix for Designers Guild, painting by Romero Britto

Bazaar Interiors gets up close and personal with Tala Farah Abu Dhabi’s favourite fashion-obsessed blogger